Walters Ms. W.782, Van Alphen Hours

W.782

Van Alphen Hours

This Dutch book of hours was made for a female patron, possibly pictured on fol. 109r, in the mid-fifteenth century. Originally richly illuminated by the workshop of the Master of Catherine of Cleves, the manuscript now lacks all of its full-page miniatures, although the eight surviving historiated initials speak to its original grandeur. Its rebinding in the seventeenth century resulted in the loss of several folios and the reordering of many of the texts. While the catalog description here remains faithful to the order of the texts as they appear today, an attempt has been made within the individual parts to reconstruct the original layout of the manuscript.

Middle of the 15th century CE

Northern Netherlands

Supplied name: Master of Catherine of Cleves workshop

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Dutch; Flemish.

Parchment

Thin to medium-weight smooth vellum

Foliation: ii+240+ii

Two paper flyleaves on either end; fols. 1 and 2 are blank, but foliated; paginated in pencil on bottom right corners (rectos) and bottom left corners (versos); modern pencil foliation upper right corners, rectos (used here)

Formula: 1(8,-1,-2), 2-6(8) 7(6,-1), 8-13(8), 14(10,-1), 15(8,-1,-2,-3,-4), 16-31(8)

Catchwords: None

Signatures: None

Comments: Gatherings mostly of eight leaves, bound out of original sequence; quires begin on fols. 1(1), 7(2), 15(3), 23(4), 31(5), 39(6), 47(7), 52(8), 60(9), 68(10), 76(11), 84(12), 92(13), 100(14), 109(15), 113(16), 121(17), 129(18), 137(19), 145(20), 153(21), 161(22), 169(23), 177(24), 185(25), 193(26), 201(27), 209(28), 217(29), 225(30), 233(31)

11.0 cm wide by 14.5 cm high

5.7 cm wide by 8.0 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 17
3. Vertical and horizontal framing lines; ruled in brown ink

1. Title: Book of Hours
2. Artist: Master of Catherine of Cleves workshop
3. Text note: Incomplete; bound out of original sequence with losses: two flyleaves excised before fol. 1; Short Hours of the Holy Spirit lacks two leaves with beginning of Matins before fol. 47, one leaf with the end of Prime and beginning of Terce excised before fol. 51, and four leaves with the end of Vespers and Compline excised before fol. 109
4. Hand note: Gothic bookhand; added notes fol. 240r-v in different hand and script; see part for details (personal cursive script)
5. Decoration note: No full-page miniatures extant, evidence suggests that they were inserted separately at major text divisions (preceding text on fols. 15, 57, 92, 113, and 200); remaining images are historiated initials, all of which adorn incipits for major text divisions, with the only exception being the Hours of the Eternal Wisdom, which has a secondary, smaller initial at Matins; five ten-line historiated initials (fols. 15r, 57r, 109r, 113r, and 200r) with border decoration of foliage, insects, animals, and grotesques; three six-line historiated initials (fols. 58r, 92r, 99v); two and four-line initials in gold on red and blue grounds with a vertical bar in left margins; one-line initials throughout in blue on red pen flourishes and gold on purple pen flourishes; large-scale border objects comprising pea-pods with golden peas (fol. 58r), shells and mussels including a cockle-shell with a lead pilgrim's badge of St. James (fol. 113r); most pages with borders of ink sprays with green and gold leaves; text written in black ink with capitals stroked in red and portions underlined in red; rubrics in red, text in black ink

1. Title: Calendar
2. Rubric: Januarius
3. Contents: Calendar for Use of Utrecht; full; graded in red and black
4. Text note: Notable in calendar: fol. 12v: Die elven dusent maechden (October 20)

1. Title: Hours of the Virgin
2. Incipit: Here du salste opdoen mine lippen
3. Contents: Text has been scrambled; correct order as follows: fols. 15r-22v, 60r-67v, 39r-46v, 31r-38v, 23r-30v, and 52r-56v
4. Decoration note: Historiated initial fol. 15r; originally preceded by a full-page miniature, now missing

1. Title: Hours of the Eternal Wisdom
2. Rubric: Hier beginnt die ghetide der wijsheit
3. Incipit: Mine siele heuet die begheert inder nacht
4. Decoration note: Historiated initial fols. 57r and 58r; fol. 57 originally preceded by a full-page miniature, now missing

1. Title: Mass of the Virgin
2. Rubric: Hier beghint onser liever vrouwen misse. Salve sancta parens enixa.
3. Incipit: Ues ghegruet heilighe moeder
4. Decoration note: Historiated initial fol. 92r; originally preceded by a full-page miniature, now missing

1. Title: Mass of the Holy Spirit
2. Rubric: Hier beghint die misse vanden heilighen gheest
3. Incipit: Des heren gheest
4. Decoration note: Historiated initial fol. 99v

1. Title: Mass of the Dead
2. Rubric: Die siel misse beghint
3. Incipit: Ghif hem here ruste

1. Title: Short Hours of the Holy Spirit
2. Rubric: Hier beghinnen die ghetide vanden heilighen gheest (fol. 108v)
3. Contents: Incomplete; text originally followed fol. 108, as rubric is found on fol. 108v; lacks two leaves from the beginning of Matins before fol. 47, one leaf with the end of Prime and beginning of Terce after fol. 50, and four leaves with the end of Vespers and Compline, which originally preceded fol. 109
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature and/or historiated initial likely missing along with beginning of text

1. Title: Hours of the Cross
2. Rubric: Hier beghinnen die lange cruces tiden
3. Incipit: Here ihu xpe leuende godes
4. Contents: Text has been scrambled: correct order is as follows: fols. 109r-112v, 217r-232v, and 209r-216v
5. Decoration note: Historiated initial fol. 109r

1. Title: Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany
2. Incipit: Here in dijnre verbolghenheit
3. Decoration note: Historiated initial fol. 113r; originally preceded by a full-page miniature, now missing

1. Title: Office of the Dead
2. Incipit: Mi hebben omme beuanghen
3. Contents: Text has been scrambled; the correct order is as follows: fols. 200r-v, 177r-184v, 169r-176v, 161r-168v, 153r-160v, 145r-152v, and 137r-140v
4. Decoration note: Historiated initial fol. 200r; originally preceded by a full-page miniature, now missing

1. Title: Suffrages
2. Rubric: Vander heiligher drieuoldicheit. (fol. 140v)
3. Incipit: O Ewighe heilighe drieuoldicheit (fol. 140v)
4. Contents: Suffrages in original order as follows: fol. 140v: the Trinity; fol. 141v: Mary; fol. 142v: Peter; fol. 143r: Augustine; fol. 144r: Martin; fol. 144v and 129r: Jerome; fol. 129r: Nicholas; fol. 129v: Barbara; fol. 130v: All Saints

1. Title: Prayers for Communion
2. Rubric: Een ynnich ghebet nae der ontfangnisse des heilighen sacraments.
3. Incipit: Ic dancke di heilighe here
4. Contents: Text is scrambled; correct order and contents are as followed: fols. 133r-134r: Een ynnich ghebet nae der ontfangnisse des heilighen sacraments (Ic dancke di heilighe here); fols. 134r-135r: Nae der ontfangnisse ghebet (Ic dancke di heer); fol. 135r-v: Nae der ontfangnisse (O wijsheit des vaders); fols. 135v-136r: Na der ontfangnisse een ynnich ghebet (Ic danke di goddienstighe); fols. 136r-v and 121r-v: Nae der ontfangnissen. Ghebet. (O here, ihesu xpriste, lof si dijnre); fols. 121v-122r: Nae der ontfangnisse ghebet (O here, ihesu xpriste, die alle tijt); fols. 122r-123r: Nader intfangnisse een ghebet. (Alre gheminde ende); fol. 123r-v: Nae der ontfangnisse ghebet. (O lieve here)

1. Title: Prayers to Mary and Christ
2. Rubric: Van onser liever vrouwen ghebet
3. Incipit: O Maria, heilighe moeder
4. Contents: Fols. 123v-126r: to Mary: Van onser liever vrouwen ghebet (O Maria, heilighe moeder); fols. 126r-128v, and 233r-235r: on the five sorrows of Mary: No rubric (Doe onse vrouwe); fols. 235r-238r: "Eight verses of St. Bernard" with Collects and Indulgence of Gherardus of Hildesheim: Men leset in sancte bernardus leven dat die duvel tot hem seide dat hi achte versen wiste inden salter, so wie die daghelics lese, die en solde niet verdoemt werden. Doe sie sancte Bernaert begheerde te weten, doe seide hi dat hi se hem nummer segghen en solde. Doe sprac sancte Bernaert. Ic weet wel hoe ic se segghen sal. Ic sal den salter alle daghe lesen, so segge ic ummer dese versen. Doe die duvel dat hoerde, op dat hi soe vele goets niet en dede, so seide hi hem dese versen die hier begrepen sijn onder dese collecten, die Gherardus die bisscop van hildesen gheset hevet. Ende gaf al den ghenen die se devotelic lesen van een yeghelike collect viertich daghe oflaets. Int iaer ons heren m.ccc. ende neghen ende tachtich. Collect. (O aelmachtighe schynsel); fols. 238r-239r: to Christ: Een ynnich ghebet tot onseren heren ihesum (Was ghegruet, heilighe coninc); fol. 239r-v: to Mary: Recordare virgo maria (Ghedencke, o moeder); fols. 239v-240r: Dictum of St. Augustine: Sanctus Augustinus seit. (Wat salstu inden daghe)
5. Hand note: Ownership notes on fol. 240v added in the seventeenth century

fol. 15r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "H" with the Apocalyptic Virgin and Child
3. Form: Historiated initial "H," 10 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Matins

fol. 57r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "M" with the Blessing Savior
3. Form: Historiated initial "M," 11 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Eternal Wisdom: Incipit

fol. 58r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "H" with the Sudarium with the face of Christ
3. Form: Historiated initial "H," 6 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Eternal Wisdom: Matins

fol. 92r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "W" with the Tiburtine Sibyl and the vision of the Ara coeli
3. Form: Historiated initial "W," 6 lines
4. Text: Mass of the Virgin: Incipit

fol. 99v:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "D" with the Dove of the Holy Spirit
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 5 lines
4. Text: Mass of the Holy Spirit: Incipit

fol. 109r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "H" with the Man of Sorrows, with praying Donatrix
3. Form: Historiated initial "H," 10 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Cross: Matins
5. Comment:

   The inscription on the scroll reads "Miserere mei deus," or "Have mercy on me, O God."

fol. 113r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "H" with souls cast into Hellmouth
3. Form: Historiated initial "H," 10 lines
4. Text: Seven Penitential Psalms: Incipit

fol. 200r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "M" with two souls kneeling in prayer in Purgatory
3. Form: Historiated initial "M," 10 lines
4. Text: Office of the Dead: Incipit

The binding is not original.

Seventeenth-century Dutch brown calf with gilt over pasteboard; marbled pastedowns

Made for unidentified fifteenth-century patron (possibly the woman kneeling in the Man of Sorrows initial on fol. 109r)

Member of the Sashers family (cursive notes of births from 1605 to 1610 on fols. 240r and 240v)

Van der Feer Lader, no. 83 (bookplate inside upper cover)

Ph. J. van Alfen, Doorn, Netherlands (bookplate first flyleaf)

Sale, Sotheby's, December 6, 1971, lot 54

Walters Art Museum purchase, 1971

Nederlandse Primitieven uit Nederlands Particulier Bezit. Laren: Singer Museum, 1961, p. 28, cat. no. 128, fig. 48.

Boon, K.G. "Nieuwe gegevens over de Meester van Katharina van Kleef en zijn atelier," Bulletin van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Oudheidkundige Bond, 6th series, 17, 1964, cols. 241-254.

Randall, Lilian. "Pea-Pods and Molluscs from the Master of Catherine of Cleves Workshop." Apollo 100 (1974): pp. 372-379.

Baumeister, A. "Die Borduren des Stundenbuches der Katharina van Lochorst." Westfalen 54 (1976): pp. 23-44.

Calkins, R.G. "Parallels between Incunabula and Manuscripts from the Circle of the Master of Catherine of Cleves." Oud Holland 92 (1978): pp. 137-160.

Scillia, D.G. "A Late Work from the Circle of the Master of Catherine of Cleves: The 'Seven Days of Creation' from the Bible of Henri de Cherauz (Brussels, B.R. Ms. 9158-67)." Oud Holland 92 (1978): p. 4.

Wieck, Roger S. Time Sanctified: The Book of Hours in Medieval Art and Life. New York: George Braziller, 1988, pp. 100-101, fig. 69 (fol. 113r), p. 221, cat. no. 110

Booton, Diane. "Manuscript Sleuthing: Discoveries of a Curator." The Walters Monthly Bulletin 48, no. 2 (1995): p. 4.

Korteweg, Anne S. "Der Meister der Katharina von Kleve: Einzelgenie oder Arbeitsgemeinschaft?" In Das Stundenbuch der Katharina von Kleve: MS M.917 und MS M.945 The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. Gütersloh: Faksimile Verlag, 2009, pp. 251-286.

Priem, Rob, et al. The Hours of Catherine of Cleves: Devotion, Demons and Daily Life in the Fifteenth Century. New York: The Morgan Library & Museum, 2009, p. 46 (fol. 192r), pp. 196-197, cat. no. 28 (fol. 113r)

Bagnoli, Martina. The Medieval World. Baltimore: Walters Art Museum, 2011, pp. 117 (fol. 113r), 193.

Principal catalogers: Marrow, James; Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and researchers since 1934

Catalogers: Dutschke, Consuelo; Herbert, Lynley; Valle, Chiara

Editors: Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Bockrath, Diane; Boot, Christine; Emery, Doug; Noel, William; Pizzinato, Riccardo; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.